Life-preserver.



No. 686,6l8.

Patented Nov. |2, I90l. F. KRAJCA.

LIFE PRESERVER.

(Application filed Sept. 2, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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m. 686,6!8. Patented Nov. 12, mm.

F. KRAJCA. A

LIFE PRESERVE'R.

(Application filed Sept. 2, 1899.) '(No Model.) v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FLORIAN KRAJCA, OF OARLSRUHE, GERMANY.

LIFE-PRESERVER.

QPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 686,618, dated November 12, 1901.

Application filed September 2, 1899. Serial No. 729,395. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FLORIAN KRAJOA, tailor, a subject of the Grand Duke of Baden, residing at Kaiserstrasse 225, Oarlsruhe, in the Grand Duchy of Baden and Empire of Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Saving Belts, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a new or improved life-savin g belt particularly applicable in case of danger of drowning, and thedistinguishingcharacteristics as compared with those heretofore in use are its great simplicity and easy adaptation for use. By means of its convenient fastenings and lightness of make it is possible that it can be worn always by ships passengers without the least inconvenience, so that it can immediately be put into use in case of a sudden or immediate danger, the requisite time for filling the air bags or reservoirs of this life-saving belt being but very short. Consequently a person provided with this apparatus in case of a sudden accident can put itinto action even when in the water.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will now describe same with the aid of the accompanying drawings, which illustrate life-saving belts constructed in accordance with my invention, in which Figure 1 is a view of the same with pump for supplying air, and Fig. 2 a view showing a modified form of a similar belt.

a is a belt made, for instance, of india-rubher or other suitable material.

1) represents the shoulder-straps. These make it possible that the belt need not be buckled around very firmly, whereby great convenience in wearing is attained.

c and o are the air bags or reservoirs, one of which is fastened to the back and the other to the front or chest part of the belt.

01 and d are tubes provided with valves by means of which the air bags or reservoirs c and 0' can be inflated either by the use of an air-pump 6, Fig. 1, which can force air at the same time or separately through said tubes (1 and d into the air bags or reservoirs c and c, or separately by the wearer, the tubes at and d being provided with mouthpieces for that purpose, as shown in Fig. 2. The air reservoirs o and 0 being attached, as shown, by their upper edges to the belt a assume when in use a horizontal position, floating on the surface of the water after the manner of a boat, so that the wearer is sustained in upright position, with head and shoulders completely out of the water, and can propel himself in any desired direction by means of his hands with ease and with considerable rapidity.

Should by misadventure one of the air bags or reservoirs become leaky, the apparatus will still act, inasmuch as the two valves are independent of one another, and the other bag or reservoir can in spite of this still be filled with air. or reservoir at the front and the other at the back of the bolt the upper part of the body,

from the chest upward, is held above the surface of the water.

It may further be mentioned that the apparatus can be suitably applied for cavalry in the following manner: By wearing the one air bag or reservoir on the left and the other on the right it renders the power of swimming possible.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the waist-belt a, having a buckle or like means for connecting its extremities; the separate air-reservoirs c, 0,

each attached by its upper edge to the said waist-belt; the shoulder-straps b, I), each connected at one end to the upper part of one of the separate air-reservoirs and at its other end to the upper part of the opposite air-reservoir; and the separate air-tubes d, d for inflating the separate reservoirs, as herein shown and described.

In witness whereof I subscribe my signature in presence of two witnesses. I

FLORIAN KBAJCA.

Witnesses:

JAooB ADRIAN, K. SoHoLL. 

